The Jefferson Fellowship Program – Darden MBA’s $180,000 Award

Darden School of Business

Established in the 1990s, the Jefferson Fellowship Program shortlists outstanding candidates from around the world who exhibit strong leadership qualities. 

The Jefferson Scholars Foundation's measures look closely at instances of ethical leadership, diplomatic intervention and decisive action, a proven ability to translate ideas into action, and a stellar academic record. 

A key feature of the Darden Jefferson Fellowship is the establishment of a one-on-one relationship with a distinguished professor at Darden. Each fellow selects a faculty member as an advisor before starting the MBA program and collaborates closely on an independent research project.

Award Amount: $180,000 that cover 

  • Full tuition and fees
  • Health insurance coverage
  • $20,000 living stipend

Other Support within the $180,000 coverage: 

  • $7,000 stipend for MBA program expenses (e.g., laptop, research-related activities, global learning experience)

Number of Awards: Not specified

Eligibility/Criteria: To be eligible for the Jefferson Fellowship, candidates should:

  • Demonstrate exceptional qualities, including strong leadership and cross-functional communication skills
  • Have a track record of putting ideas into action
  • Exhibit superb academic achievement

Selection Procedure
1) The Jefferson Scholars Foundation invites candidates to apply for the fellowship in late summer

2) Darden School nominates candidates from Early Action and first round of MBA application

3) International students must apply by Darden's Early Action round

4) An Interview is also required to be chosen as finalists

5) For finalists, the Jefferson Fellows Competition include
a) Case discussion led by a Darden faculty member.
b) Two-day visit to the University of Virginia and the Darden School of Business.
c) Exploration of the Darden community, including class observation, campus tour, and meetings with faculty, administration, and current students.

d) Panel interview

Essay: NA

Resume: A One Page Resume is mandatory

Deadline: September 5th 

Related Services

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Reference

 

F1GMAT's Darden MBA Essay Guide

 

Essay 1: Community of Belonging: What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? (100 words)

Essay 2: Inclusive Impact: Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating a welcoming, global community at Darden. (300 words)

Essay 3: Careers With Purpose: At this time how would you describe your short-term, post-MBA goal in terms of industry, function, geography, company size and/or mission and how does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career? (200 words)

Download F1GMAT's Darden MBA Essay Guide

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I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.

For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.

 

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